Photocomposing machine



arch i B. P. RAAK ETAL 3,308,732

PHOTOCOMPOSING MACHINE Original Filed May 17, 1962 5 Sheets-Sheet l OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO 000 i T EST VOTES IMPOSSIBLE ooooooooooooooooo CONGRESS ADJOURNS W I25 BILLS TABLED M MI o o o o o o o o 0 FIG. IA 57 IN VENTORS. V BENTLY P. RAAK JOSEPH P. GRLICA Y HARRY CARLIN ATTORNEYS Marcia i4, @967 RAAK ETA| I 3,308,732

PHOTOCOMPOSING MACHINE Original Filed May 17. 1962 l 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS. BENTLY P. RAAK JOSEPH P. GRL|CA HARRY CARLIN ATTORNEYS March 14, 1967 B. P. RAAK ETAL 3,308,732

PHOTOCOMPOSING MACHINE Original Filed May 17, 1962 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 WW4, ma /@0144 ATTORNEYS Ma rch 14, 1967 B.P. RAAK ETAL 3,308,732

I PHOTOCOMPOSING MACHINE Original Filed ma 17, 1962 s Sheets-Sheet 4 FIG. 5

INVENTORS. BE NTLY P. RAAK JOSEPH P. GRL CA Y HARRY CARLH I ATTORNEYS March 14, 1967 P. RAAK ETAL 3,308,732

PHOTOCOMPOSING MACHINE Original Filed May 17. 1962 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 I /Z/ 'MHhuht...

FIG 8 BENTLQK x R AK K JOSEPH P. GRLICA HARRY CARLIN Zdaflm, m, Mp] PM ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,308,732 PHOTUCOMPOSING MACHINE Bently P. Raak, Short Hills, Joseph P. Grlica, West Orange, and Harry Carlin, Colonia, N.J., assignors to Varityper Corporation, Newark, N.J., a corporation of Delaware Continuation of application Ser. No. 195,532, May 17, 1962. This application June 22, 1965, Ser. No. 466,016

9 Claims. (Cl. 95-45) This application is a continuation of copending application Ser. No. 195,532, filed May 17, 1962, entitled, Photocomposing Machine, now abandoned.

This invention relates to a photocomposing machine, that is, a machine for composing in accordance with photographic principles.

The usual form of photocomposing machine is one wherein a photosensitive strip or film is moved through an exposure station to be printed in succession with the characters representing the desired word formation, and in one well-known form of photocomposing machine the type font is carried by a rotatable type matrix so constructed as to enable the characters to be indexed one by one for presentation in the desired sequence to the exposure station. A machine of this kind is capable of producing neat, single line copy quite rapidly. It would be desirable to be able to produce multiple line copy with facility, and inexpensively, in such a machine, and the primary object of the present invention is to enable this to be accomplished. A related object of the present invention is to eliminate the need for individual single line paste-ups by making it possible to produce multiple line copy on a single strip of film or the like in a photocomposing machine of the foregoing character.

Specifically, the foregoing objects of the present invention are accomplished by interrelating a variantly settable selector mask and preassigned font positions on a rotatable type matrix. Thus, a single type matrix can be provided with a plurality of type fonts at different concentric positions thereon, and a particular type font can be selected for photocomposing by interposing at the exposure station a related aperture on a variantly settable mask that will conceal the type fonts save that which is to be used for photocornposing. This construction is manifest in a wide variety of possibilities as will be evident, for example, from the fact that a single large aperture can be provided on the mask to be related to a single large font on the type matrix. Smaller apertures can be used for single type fonts of intermediate sizes. Even smaller apertures on the selector mask can be used for selecting a single font at a time from a plurality of fonts in the type matrix, and this is of particular value in composing multiple line copy where the characters in each line are to be of the same size.

In preparing multiple line copy in a photocomposing machine of the general kind herein involved, it is necessary to return the strip being composed to the original or desired start position, and this of course entails reverse movement of the photosensitive strip. Another object of the present invention is to enable the strip to be returned with facility and in particular to avoid bunching or inadvertent folding during return motion imparted thereto.

Other and further objects of the present invention will be apparent from the following description and claims and are illustrated in the accompanying drawings which, by way of illustration, show a preferred embodiment of the present invention and the principles thereof and what is now considered to be the best mode contemplated for applying these principles. Other embodiments of the invention embodying the same or equivalent principles may be used and structural changes may be made as desired by those skilled in the art without departing from the present invention and the purview of the appended claims.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a machine constructed in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 1A is a detail view showing a fragment of a photocornposed strip;

FIG. 2 is a view, on an enlarged scale, illustrating in particular the details of the type matrix contemplated by the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view showing selected interior parts of the machine illustrated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3A is a detail sectional view, on an enlarged scale, showing certain clutch details;

FIG. 4 is a fragmental plan View illustrating the relationship between the type matrix and parts at the exposure station;

FIG. 5 is a fragmental sectional view taken substantially on the line 5-5 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a plan view, partly schematic, of the masking or selector wheel;

FIG. 7 is a plan view, partly in section, taken substantially on the line 7-7 of FIG. 3; and

FIG. 8 is an end elevation substantially on the line 88 of FIG. 7, being on an enlarged scale.

The photocomposing machine incorporating the features of the present invention is illustrated at 15 in FIG. 1, and this machine includes a housing 16 having a base 17 enabling the same to be stably supported on a desk or table. The housing 16 includes a relatively large center panel having sections 20A and 203 connected by a hinge 22 to an uppermost panel 23. Section 23 in turn is connected by a hinge to the back panel (not shown). The hinged sections of the cover thus afforded enables the panel structure 20B-23 to be successively folded back to expose interior parts for purposes apparent from the description to follow. It may be further noted that the hinged central panel structure is inclined upwardly, and this is true of the entire top of the machine. The purpose of this is to present in an easy working plane the manual controls and the visual data to be acted upon and used intelligently by the operator of the machine. Many of the interior parts are oriented in this inclined plane as will be apparent from the drawings.

The machine in the present instance is one that composes or prints copy on the photographic principle, and accordingly, a sensitized strip ST, FIG. 1A, which may be opaque sensitized paper or a sensitized film, is arranged within the interior of the machine to be advanced stepwise through an exposure station where composing is effected.

Under and in accordance with the present invention, a plurality of type fonts are available on a single type matrix for composing, and as shown in FIG. 2, the type matrix is in the form of a circular disc 25 of transparent plastic which carries at different radial positions thereon rows of transparent type characters representing the fonts 26A, 26B and 26C. The characters in the different rows are in registry and have the same index position. In composing copy, the selected characters are exposed and photographed one by one at the exposure station to print the desired word. After the copy has been printed, it is fed to the developing station (not shown) and the permanent developed copy emerges at the right hand side of the machine as shown in FIG. 1.

The type matrix 25 may bear different fonts, and this difference may be manifest in either style or size or both. In this event, the characters are usually not in registry, or in the same index position.

In any event, only one type font will be active when printing a character, and in order that the remaining font or fonts will be concealed at this time at the exposure station, the present machine is equipped with a selector mask 30, FIG. 6. The exposure mask 30 is provided with a plurality of apertures 30-1, 30-2, 303, 30-4, 305 and 30-6 and these are oriented and dimensioned in a manner to be described in more detail hereinafter. It may be noted, however, that the type master will bear data including the setting for the mask wheel 30 in order that a particular font on the type matrix may be selected for photocomposing.

It was mentioned that the present machine is equipped to produce multiple line copy such as headlines and the like. In order that the various lines composed can be oriented with respect to what amounts to a left-hand margin, the present machine is arranged to enable the photosensitive strip to be returned, and the details in which this is accomplished will be described hereinafter.

The foregoing explains the primary aspects of novelty embodied in the present machine, and many of the functions, such as the manner in which the copy is developed, strip severing, movement of the strip through the machine and the like are disclosed in Patents Nos. 2,646,731, 2,649,036, 2,742,830 and 2,742,831. Patent No. 2,742,- 830 in particular discloses the kerning details embodied in the type matrix 25 used to produce optical uniformity in the print, such being manifest in differential sized notches 25N extended inwardly from the outer periphery of the disk 25. Thus, many of the functions that need not be described in detail herein are disclosed in the aforesaid patent, and appreciation of these functions can be realized by directing attention to the control panel 35, FIG. 1, hereof, whereon are located an off-on switch 36, a print-non-print (idle) switch 37; a switch 38 for empirically regulating the spacing between letters being composed (half-font or full-font) and -a switch 39 which is to be flipped to the left when a type character is to be printed on the strip and which is flipped to the right when the photosensitive strip is to be advanced forwardly between words.

It may also be noted that the control panel 35 includes a lamp 41 for indicating when the main motor of the machine is energized, a warning light 42 which signals when the supply of photosensitive paper or film is exhausted, and lamp 43 which is on when the composed strip is moving through the developing tank. Finally, the machine includes an exposure meter 45 and an associated read-out switch 46. A rheostat. 47 is afforded for adjusting the intensity of light at the exposure station.-

The machine is, of course, equipped to handle type matrices bearing selectable type fonts of widely variant kind. Thus, the type matrix 25, FIGS. 2 and 2A, is disclosed herein as being representative of the general nature of type matrices that can be used including type fonts at different locations in concentric arcs on the type matrix.

It will be noted that the matrix 25 is provided with a relatively large central aperture 50, and two apertures 51 and 52 on opposite sides thereof which are of somewhat smaller size. As shown in FIG. 5, the apertures 51 and 52 are adapted to register with studs 53 and 54 projecting from a turntable 55, and the hub 55H of the turntable fits in the large central opening of the type matrix. The manner in which the turntable 55 is rotated will be described hereinafter, but it may here be noted that surrounding the turntable is a relatively large fixed ring 56, FIG. 4, which is of a light color facilitating reading of data provided on the transparent type matrix 25. The disk or ring 56 is delineated with a pair of index marks 57, FIG. 4, which serve as a guide for positioning the desired type character at the exposure station. In this connection, the font wheel or type matrix 25 is printed with a ring of dark type characters that are visible through a window opening W in the cover part 20A, and when a character in this ring is positioned proximately between the index marks 57, its counterpart to be photo- 4 graphed has been moved into proximate position at the exposure station. Thereafter, a final adjustment is accomplished by means which cooperate with the kerning notches 25N in the periphery of the type matrix.

The type matrix is positioned manually by a selector knob 60, FIG. 1, at the font of the machine, and this knob when turned imparts rotary motion to a selector shaft 61, FIG. 4, which extends inwardly toward the center of the machine. The shaft 61 is provided at the inner end, opposite the knob 60, with a gear 62 meshed with an associated gear 63 which is fixed to the lower end of a vertical shaft which supports the turntable 55. Thus,

the type matrix can be turned clockwise or counterclockwise with the turntable 55 by turning the knob 60 to locate the desired type character at the exposure station.

The location of the exposure station is defined generally by the mask 30, FIG. 4, which is in the form of a wheel, and it will be observed that the size of the mask 30 is such that it overlaps the path of the type font on the matrix 25. The mask 30 is adapted to be rotated by a knob 30K, which projects through the top panel 23 as best shown in FIG. 3 so as to be exposed for manual operation. The knob 30K is associated with a stem or shaft 70, FIG. 5, that extends downwardly into the machine interior, and the shaft in turn is secured to the center of the mask wheel 30 so that the latter will rotate when the knob 30K is turned to a selected position. It may be here pointed out that the knob 30K is provided with a skirt 72, FIG. 4, inscribed with indicia, representing the various positions in which the mask wheel 30 may be set. Thus, the settable positions of the mask 30 are indicated by the indicia N, A, B, C, D and E, and the corresponding setting of the mask will be indicated by the letter index position relative to a pointer 75, FIG. 1, located at the base of an aperture 76 in the top panel 23 through which the knob 30K projects.

The manifest result of moving the knob 30K to an index position is that one of a plurality of openings or apertures in the disk 30 is accurately positioned at or indexed to the base line (hereinafter defined) of the exposure station to expose for copy a character at a particular segment of the type matrix 25. In other words, the disk 30 is formed with a plurality of openings oriented relative to the exposure station base line and the path of the type fonts on the type matrix, so that the type fonts, save that to be selected for composing, will be concealed at any particular setting of the mask wheel 30.

The selection of a font will be evident from what is diagrammed in FIG. 6 where the center line BL (see also FIG. 4) indicates the base line at the exposure station whereat a character, corresponding to that located at the index 57, will be in position to be printed. The aperture 30-1 in the mask may be of such size that it will expose all three rows on the matrix where type fonts can appear (26A, 26B and 260). Thus, a type matrix can be used having but a single series of very large point size characters. The next two apertures 302 and 303 may be located to expose any font of intermediate size occupying positions 26A26B or 26B-26C on a type matrix. Finally, apertures 30-4, '30-5 and 30-6 may be provided, each for a row of font of smaller size at one of the three possible locations on a type matrix. This would be represented by the type matrix 25 and it is possible using a type matrix as 25 to print three-line copy as shown in FIGS. 1 and 1A.

It will be observed that the mask wheel 30 is provided with a plurality of widely spaced notches '30N in the periphery thereof, and these have angular positions corresponding to the various apertures used to selectively expose a particular area on the type matrix whereat the selected character of the selected font is disposed. The notches serve to enable the selected position of the mask wheel to be maintained. To this end, a detent is provided engageable with a notch as 30N, the detent being in the form of a roller 77R on an arm 77, FIG. 4. The

arm 77 is biasedv to a holding position with respect to the disk or Wheel 30 by a spring 78, FIG. 4, anchored at one end on the arm 77 and anchored at the'opposite end to a bracket 79 which also supports a pin 80 on which the arm 77 is pivoted. I

The bracket 79 is secured to one leg of a larger bracket 82 which is secured by screws or the like to a supporting plate 83, FIG. 3, located beneath the top panel section 23. A lamp socket 85 is secured to the light house box in position to illuminate the aperture of the mask indexed to the exposure station base line. In this manner the mask wheel, the lamp and associated parts are rigidly but removably arranged within the housing'of the machine.

The paper or film to be exposed is of the pin-feed type, and is supplied from a box placed in a Well 99, FIG. 4, concealed within the housing of the machine. The sensitized strip is advanced through the exposure station by means including a feed socket 92, FIG. 3, located beneath an idler roller 92A over which the strip passes immediately prior to being engaged with the teeth on the sprocket 92. The sprocket 92 is fixed to a drive shaft 93 which is rotated through the desired angle after each print to present a fresh area of the sensitized strip to the exposure station. Shaft 93 is normally rotated by means including a one-way clutch 95, which may operate in accordance with the disclosure in Patent No. 2,742,831.

It may be further pointed out that the direction of initial advancement of the sensitized strip from the well 90 is toward the left as viewed in FIG. 4 (to the right as viewed in FIG. 8) beneath the type matrix 25, and :an image of the selected character of the selected type font will be cast on to the sensitized. film, this character of course being exposed through the aperture in the mask that has been indexed to the base line BL at the exposure station. Thereafter, the exposed film passes around the idler 92A and from thence to the sprocket or pinwheel '92.

The path of movement of the strip ST through the exposure station, as the machine is viewed in FIG. 1, is indicated by the arrow at the side of the strip ST in FIG. 1A; and the path of movement of the finished copy ST from the developing station is indicated by the arrow at the side of the developed strip ST in FIG. 1.

As noted hereinabove, it is possible under and in accordance with the present invention to produce multiple line copy on a sensitized strip as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 1A. In order that this can be accomplished, it is necessary to return the strip to the start margin after the previous line has been composed. The return may be such as to produce an even margin, or may be such as to produce a slanted margin, depending upon the format desired. The present machine is equipped with a gauge 96 and associated pointer 96P located at the front of the machine, FIG. 1. This gauge indicates the length of copy printed, and is used as an index when returning the strip incidental to printing another line of words.

Under the present invention, the return of the strip is madepossible by reversing the forward drive action of the sprocket 92, and advantageously this is accomplished. by turning the shaft 93 in' a reverse direction, independently of the clutch 95 which, when'op'erative, permits only a one-way forward action as an assurance against inadvertent return movement. v

In connection with reversing the strip feed, it may be first noted that a knob 97 is available at the front of the machine that enables a normal forward advancement to be imparted to the strip manually if desired, and this is manifest in manually turning the knob 97 counterclockwise as viewed in FIG. 1. This corresponds to the directional arrow of FIG. 1A. The knob 97, FIG, 3, is afiixed to a shaft 98 which carries a pinion gear 99, and this pinion is meshed with a spur gear 100. The gear 100 turns the dial 96 through increments corresponding to the length of the strip feed.

The shaft 98, FIG. 3, extends from the front of the machine upwardly in the inclined plane mentioned above, and a drive collar 103 is atfixed thereto, this collar being splined to a complemental collar 105 fixed on the end of shaft 93 opposite the sprocket 92. This arrangement of parts enables adjustments in the length of the shaft couple 93-98 to be effected.

Shaft 93 is provided with a pair of slots 93C and 93D, and these slots receive the ends of a pair of L-shaped drive fingers 107 and 108 which are pinned pivotally on a collar 110 carried by shaft 93. The ends of the fingers disposed in the drive slots 98C and 98D are normally urged apart by a shaft 112 disposed therebetween, this shaft being co-axial within the shaft 93-98. This urges the heels 107H and 108H of the fingers 107 and 108 against a clutch finger plate 113, FIG. 3A, that rotates with the clutch as one of its driven elements. Consequently, the fingers 197 and 108 in this position are effective to turn shaft 93 when knob 97 is turned to advance the sensitive paper or strip manually.

. The shaft 112 is used in effect to disable the fingers 107 and 108 from turning with the associated clutch finger plate 113. Thus, shaft 112 extends outwardly of the housing of the machine and terminates in a control button 115 immediately adjacent the knob 97 carried on the shaft 98. As shown in FIG. 3A, the innermost end of the control shaft 112 is tapered at 112T. Intermediate its length, the shaft 112 is slotted at 1123, and a stop screw 116 related thereto is carried on shaft 98. Thus, the shaft 112 can be withdrawn by applying a right-hand pull on the knob 115 as viewed in FIG. 3 to the extent that withdrawal is permitted by the stop screw 116, but in any event the withdrawing action on the clutch control shaft 112 will be such as to present the tapered end 112T to the inwardly bent extensions on the fingers 107 and 108. When this latter condition prevails, the fingers 107 and 108- are in effect released with respect to the pressure plate 113 of the clutch. This permits the.

shaft 98 to be turned manually in a clockwise or reverse direction since the release of the fingers 107 and 108 allows shaft 93 to be driven directly thereby (fingers 107 and 108 are still in the slots 93C and 93D )with shaft 98 rather than through the disk 113 which is part of the clutch 95. In other words, the clutch 95 is bypassed, enabling the drive sprocket 92 to be reversed incidental to the returning of the copy strip to start position to compose a second or third line of copy.

It is important to prevent bunching or looping of the sensitized strip when returning the strip. To this end, a second drive sprocket is afforded to impart a positive pull or return action to the strip as ST simultaneously with reversal of the main drive sprocket '92.

Thus, as shown in FIG. 3, the sprocket 92 is arranged Within a housing 118. A gear is outboard of the housing 118 and is associated with shaft 93 to rotate therewith. Referring to FIGS. 7 and 8, gear 120 is meshed with an idler gear 121 in turn meshed with a second idler gear 123. The idler gear 123 is meshed witha driven gear 124, and this gear in turn is fixed to a shaft 125 which in turn carries a driven sprocket 126 arranged within the housing 118 substantially in alignment with the idler roller 92A. Sprocket 126 is, like sprocket 92, to be meshed with the pin feed openings in the photosensitive strip ST. Consequently, when the sprocket 92 is driven, either in a forward or reverse direction, the drive sprocket 126 is rotated in the same direction because of the twointermedi-ate idlers 121 and 123, and in this manner the photosensitive strip is prevented from bunching or folding due to the push-pull action inherent in the spaced drive sprockets 92 and 126. The strip ST passes over a felt anvil 127 located in housing 118 between sprocket 126 and the roller 92A.

It will be seen from the foregoing that under and in accordance with the present invention it is possible to selectively move from one type font to another in a photocomposing machine without the need for changing type matrices. This is accomplished simply by moving the mask, representing the type font selector, to a selected position where the correct aperature for the selected type font will be exposed at the exposure station to intersect only the characters of the desired type font, while concealing the remainder of the type fonts from the light source. This arrangement is particularly useful in connection with the production of multiple line copy, and in this connection it will be recalled that the present construction enables the copy strip to be returned, for the second or third line of copy, without bunching.

Hence, while we have illustrated and described a preferred embodiment of our invention, it is to be understood that this is capable of variation and modification, and we therefore do not wish to be limited to the precise details set forth, but desire to avail ourselves of such changes and alterations as fall within the purview of the following claims.

We claim:

1. In a photocomposing machine wherein a photosensitive strip is to be advanced stepwise through an exposure station incidental to composing copy therewith, means for locating in the machine a rotatable type matrix being rotatable about a first and fixed axis and bearing a plurality of type fonts at different radial locations thereon and of which one at a time is to be selected for composing a series of characters, means to selectively index the type matrix relative to the exposure station to enable the type characters of the selected font to be successively photographed in the desired character sequence, and a variantly settable selector mask being rotatable about a fixed axis offset from said first axis at the exposure station and having a differently located apertures for concealing the type fonts save that which is selected for composing in accordance with the setting of said mask, each of said apertures being related to a font and being movable into a position to mask all fonts but its related font at the exposure station.

2. In a photocomposing machine wherein a photosensitive strip is to be moved beneath a light source at an exposure station incidental to composing copy therewith, means for locating between the strip and the light source in the machine, a rotatable type matrix rotatable about a first axis and bearing a plurality of transparent type fonts in connectric arcs thereon and of which one at a time is to be selected for composing a series of characters on the strip, means to selectively index the type matrix relative to a base line at the exposure station to enable the type characters of the selected font to be successively photographed in the desired character sequence, and a rotatable selector mask at the exposure station interposed between the strip and the light source, said mask being rotatable about an axis offset from said first axis, said mask having apertures so located thereon as to individually intersect the path of a selected type font only when the mask is indexed to present an aperture to the base line, and means for indexing the mask.

3. A machine according to claim 2 including means for driving the strip in a forward direction and means for returning the strip to a start position incidental to producing multiple line copy.

4. A machine according to claim 2 including a pair of widely spaced sprockets for advancing the strip to be photocomposed, and gears for driving the sprockets in unison and together.

5. In a photocomposing machine wherein a photosensitive strip is to be moved stepwise through an exposure station incidental to composing multiple line copy therewith, means for locating in the machine a rotatable type matrix having a fixed rotational axis and bearing a 8 plurality of type fonts in an arcuate arrangement at different radial locations thereon and of which one at a time is to be selected for composing a line of copy, means to selectively index the type matrix relative to the exposure station to enable the type characters of the selected font to be successively photographed in the desired word arrangement, a rotatable selector mask at the exposure station having spaced apertures related to the radial positions of the type fonts, said mask being rotatable about an axis offset from said axis of said type matrix, means to set the selector mask in a position at the exposure station whereat an aperture will reveal the characters of a type font selected by the setting of the mask, and means to enable the strip to be returned manually to a start position after completing one line of copy.

6. The photocomposing machine of claim 5 wherein one of several matrices having different fonts can be employed and wherein said selector mask has apertures therein of various sizes and spaced thereon for the different fonts on the several matrices.

7. In a photocomposing machine for producing characters on a film strip spaced apart in a first or character feed direction and for producing multiple line copy with lines spaced apart in a second or line feed direction, supporting means supporting a movable type matrix bearing a plurality of fonts thereon, said fonts being spaced apart a distance corresponding to a line spacing, each of said fonts for composing a separate line of copy, feeding means for selective feeding of said film in a character feed direction; said feeding means adapted to return said film for producing another line of copy on said film, and masking means movable to selected positions, each of said positions being associated with one of said fonts and a related line position on said film, each of said positions on the masking means being inclusive of an exposure .portion which exposes one of the fonts for photocomposing and a concealing portion with conceals simultaneously another font from photocomposing, each such exposure portion simultaneously selecting the line on the film for photocomposing.

8. In a photo-composing machine for producing characters on a film strip spaced apart in a first or letter feed direction to form separate lines which lines are spaced apart in a second or line feed direction, supporting means rotatable about a first fixed axis and supporting, type matrix means bearing a plurality of type fonts arranged concentrically about said first axis, said type fonts being spaced apart a distance on said font corresponding to a space between lines of the copy, means affording an exposure station wherein said film is held and guided for movement in the letter feed direction only, film feeding means for feeding said film in a letter feed direction through said exposure station for exposure to said type fonts, and masking means having a plurality of openings therein, each opening being related to expose an associated font and to limit production of the characters to the line on said film associated with its opening.

9. The photocomposing machine of claim 8 wherein is provided a plurality of type matrix means having various size of type fonts thereon, said fonts being spaced apart different distances.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,259,355 3/1918 Bunnell 4.5

2,951,121 8/1960 Conrad 178-23 3,099,945 8/1963 OBrien 954.5

JOHN HORAN, Primary Examiner. 

1. IN A PHOTOCOMPOSING MACHINE WHEREIN A PHOTOSENSITIVE STRIP IS TO BE ADVANCED STEPWISE THROUGH AN EXPOSURE STATION INCIDENTAL TO COMPOSING COPY THEREWITH, MEANS FOR LOCATING IN THE MACHINE A ROTATABLE TYPE MATRIX BEING ROTATABLE ABOUT A FIRST AND FIXED AXIS AND BEARING A PLURALITY OF TYPE FONTS AT DIFFERENT RADIAL LOCATIONS THEREON AND OF WHICH ONE AT A TIME IS TO BE SELECTED FOR COMPOSING A SERIES OF CHARACTERS, MEANS TO SELECTIVELY INDEX THE TYPE MATRIX RELATIVE TO THE EXPOSURE STATION TO ENABLE THE TYPE CHARACTERS OF THE SELECTED FRONT TO BE SUCCESSIVELY PHOTOGRAPHED IN THE DESIRED CHARACTER SEQUENCE, AND A VARIANTLY SETTABLE SELECTOR MASK BEING ROTATABLE ABOUT A FIXED AXIS OFFSET FROM SAID FIRST AXIS AT THE EXPOSURE STATION AND HAVING A DIFFERENTLY LOCATED APERTURES FOR CONCEALING THE TYPE FONTS SAVE THAT WHICH IS SELECTED FOR COMPOSING IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE SETTING OF SAID MASK, EACH OF SAID APERTURES BEING RELATED TO A FONT AND BEING MOVABLE INTO A POSITION TO MASK ALL FONTS BUT ITS RELATED FONT AT THE EXPOSURE STATION. 